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Building Tips and technical articles. => Paint and finishing => Topic started by: Tim Wescott on May 20, 2010, 12:15:42 PM
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Title sez all. What is your favorite? I've heard:
- Plastic film, trim with Rustoleum
- Minwax base on wood (with or without fiberglass, carbon veil, or silkspan), followed by Rustoleum -- then what to fuel proof?
- Does anything work with silkspan over open bays?
- How does the water-based Minwax work on 1/8" slab winged 1/2A ships? Doesn't it warp them up?
Fire away. My dope supply is depleted, I'm contemplating a profile for training, and, I'm trying to decide whether I should swing by the hardware store or the hobby store or maybe the closest FBO for some _real_ dope.
When you comment, comment on whether you feel the finish is "show winning", "doesn't embarrass me", or "keeps the plane flying".
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Film on the wing. For the wood: One coat of oil based polyurethane (any brand) thinned 50/50 with thinner. Spray with your choice of rattle can finnish. One coat of unthinned oil based polyurethane. Let set for a few days and fly. Optional to sand or steel wool lightly between coats. I use a brush or one of the foam applicators for the poly. This stuff is absolutely fuel proof but it will yellow some with time. Buy the poly in small cans, a little goes a long way and it gets gummy after it's been opened for a while. Cheap and easy and the fuel won't make it soft.
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I've started using Krylon H2O it's a foam safe paint that doesn't smell as much so I can shoot it indoors and my girl friend doesn't complain and it dries to touch in minutes then I use automotive clear to fuel proof.
Dwayne
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Exactly what automotive clear are you using? Is it a spray can?
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My experience with Krylon H2O on foamies is that it comes out of the can looking like partially-curdled milk; I've never been able to lard it on so heavily that it doesn't look more like spackle than paint, unless it's running.
Do you just live with the lumpy look, do you sand, what?
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Film on the wing. For the wood: One coat of oil based polyurethane (any brand) thinned 50/50 with thinner.
How does it fill the wood? Does it leave visible grain but otherwise good looking, or does it really really fill the grain?
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The poly doesn't fill at all, but it seals and firms the wood and makes it easier to sand smooth. The color coat doesn't soak in at all, so it doesn't take much color to cover. Then the topcoat of poly leaves a nice shine that is easy to clean. I have learned to use a fairly dark color so the grain doesn't show much. White is terrible.
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Russell I use Dupli-color Acrylic clear rattle can
Tim I've never used H2o on foam but on wood it works fine for me.
Thanks for the replies
Dwayne
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Dupli-Color colors, base and trim, then Sig Lite-Coat clear. Works pretty good! Read about it in Bradly's painting article in Flying Models sometime back! Don't need a Tyvex suit for that either......
Jim Pollock #^ n~
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nitrate and tissue - fill with 2-4 coats.
Duplicolour high build primer.....sand it off - duplicolour sandable primer - sand smooth - Duplicolour colours - duplicolour clear.......
you can handle the model 5 minutes after spraying - dries quick and comes out nice
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Wynn,
How fuel proof is the duplicolor clear? I have used Sig Lite Coat clear because it is more fuel proof than Brodak Clear!
Just wondering about your experience with it?
Jim Pollock H^^
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the duplicolour acrylic lacquer clear I have used up to 10% nitro with no problems (it will probably handle more) - I have used the duplicolour clear coat out of the smaller cans which does not seem to hold up as well as the Acrylic lacquer clear
at the moment - I fly electric so have no fuel proofing issues ;)
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Wynn,
I would fly electric too if I could find a motor/Battery/Controller/Timer equivalent an LA .46 expense wise!
Jim Pollock :o
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battery, motor and timer you can get for the same price as one LA - the ESC is about the same price as an LA as well - so for the cost of 2LAs you can be in the air and electrified